10-20-2002, 10:21 PM
Tampa Bay Area
Fishing Report Captain Charles Walker
10/20/02
What a beautiful weekend it has been. The sun shining, the wind down, the temperature comfortable, and the fish biting like crazy. Kings, Spanish mackerel, grouper, mangrove snapper, trigger fish, grunts, you name it and it was biting. No need to make those 40 or 50 mile runs anymore because the fish are acting almost normal and biting inshore where they are supposed to be. The kings are in the ship’s channel, all the hard bottom areas throughout Kingfish Alley and Times Square, and of course the Betty Rose and the 10 Fathom Wreck. Bait is available around channel markers and of course the artificial reefs, but the school kings and Spanish are so numerous right now that spoons and planers will probably fill your box to the limit in short order. If you are bottom fishing for grouper, you may have to switch to steel leader to keep the kings from biting you off, even with frozen sardines.
On to the bait house reports:
Ruskin Bait and Tackle - 813-641-2325 – Reds are still biting well around Cockroach. Drum and sheepshead are biting like crazy in the river. Mangrove snapper were caught around the Skyway and lots of Spanish mackerel are still in the Channel.
Buddy’s Bait and Tackle on the Courteney Campbell Causeway in Tampa - 813-287-1026 – Trout, reds, mangrove snapper have all been caught at the big bridge on both live shrimp and gold spoons. Snook are biting shrimp and pinfish at the floodgates and plenty of snook are being caught in Double Branch.
Trappman’s Bait and Tackle on Gandy Blvd in St. Petersburg - 727-579-1414- Reds are around Weedon Island in good numbers along with sheepshead and mangrove snapper. Pompano are still biting around the bridges. Lots of snook and mangroves are in the canals around Snug Harbor and the bridges at Fourth Street have been producing some nice reds and snook this week.
Pass-a-Grille Bait and Tackle on St. Pete Beach - 727-360-6606- Lots of flounder and Spanish mackerel have been coming off our gas dock this week. Our offshore boats have been catching grouper and grunts.
The Skyway Fishing Pier - 727-865-0668 and the south Skyway - 941-729-0117- Spanish mackerel, pompano, bluefish, and grouper have all been caught off the Skyway Piers this week. There’s plenty of bait around the piers and the fishing is hot.
Folks, feel free to call any of the places in my report for more information, and be sure to tell them that you read about the fishing in their area in Capt. Charlie’s fishing report on the Internet.
If you want more information about fishing in the Tampa Bay area or wish to book a charter, simply e-mail me at captchas@flfish.com or if you wish to arrange a charter faster, call me at 727-546-7257. Be sure and visit my web site for lots more Tampa Bay Area fishing info at: [url "http://www.floridasaltwater.com/"][#0000ff]http://www.floridasaltwater.com[/#0000ff][/url] .
Good fishing and tight lines,
Capt. Charlie
http://www.flfish.com/fl
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